Present tense or past tense for timelines?

Question

When you write a timeline and descriptions for each event, do you write the descriptions in present tense or past tense? Does it HAVE to be in present tense?

Answer 1

It's a question of style, really. The present time is usually used. It makes the events sound more vivid. Since it is a time line of history, there is no confusion as to the fact the events happened in the past.

Answer 2

Tense Timeline

Answer 3

For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/aycg8

Olá, Menino! You've gotten some great answers so far, but I wanted to chime in with how I teach my students the difference between the simple past and the present perfect. When I was 29, I dated a man from Holland, who asked me, "Why did you never marry?" My response? "Well, I'm not dead *yet*!" I always ask my students why what he said was wrong. The problem, of course, is that he used the simple past, which, in English, is used to indicate actions which occurred in the past and remain in the past. They do not extend into the present nor into the future. On a timeline, an action in the simple past would be represented by a single vertical line to the left of the present. Using your example of the MLS games, you could say, "Last summer, I watched 17 (or however many) MLS games." Last summer, by definition, is over and gone; it cannot extend into the present or the future. Yes, 17 games is several occurrences, and, yes, last summer is a large block of time; but it's all in the past. It doesn't matter whether the time period is large ("last century") or small ("a second ago") or whether the action is one ("I watched one game") or many; they are still in the past. They can be represented by a skinny vertical line or a huge one (encompassing a whole century). The present perfect, on the other hand, indicates actions which began in the past but which still have bearing on the present and, quite possibly, the future as well. On a timeline, it would be represented by a horizontal arrow, beginning at some point prior to the present and extending to the present. The head of the arrow, pointing to the future, indicates the possibility of the action's continuing on past the present. Using your example of the MLS games, since we are still in July, this summer isn't over yet (nor are the MLS games, I'm assuming), and there still exists the possibility, therefore, that you may watch many more games *this summer*. The moment, however, that *this summer* ends (or the MLS games end, whichever comes first), so ends the possibility that you could watch any more MLS games *this summer*, and the sentence would require the simple past. Back to our Dutchman....Since my life was--and still is--not over yet; and, since 29 (30, 31, 32, 33, and way on up) is still "marriageable age", the possibility that I might marry at any moment--in the present or the future--still existed. He should, therefore, have used the present perfect to ask, "Why haven't you married (yet)?" Only once all possibility of my marrying is past, however, could he appropriately use the simple past and ask, "Why did you never marry?" Espero que sirva de ajuda, Menino!

Answer 4

yes, present tense is the accepted form. that way, when you add backstory to an event, it makes sense.

read more at mla.org

Answer 5

PAST, A time line suggests events that have already happened.

Answer 6

I would use present tense, e.g., 1939 Hitler invades Poland, 1941 Japan bombs Pearl Harbor....